Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael, Argentina and Mendoza

For one person, living costs are similar in San Rafael and in Mendoza: $1,353 and $1,363 a month, rent and utilities included.

64

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
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San Rafael Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Mendoza
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Mendoza Living Index

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San Rafael

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,353

/mo nomad

Mendoza

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Rafael and in Mendoza

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Rafael and in Mendoza actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,353 per month in San Rafael vs $1,363 in Mendoza, rent included.

San Rafael $1,353
Mendoza $1,363

A couple spends around $2,224 per month in San Rafael vs $2,149 in Mendoza, rent included.

San Rafael $2,224
Mendoza $2,149

A family of three spends $3,096 per month in San Rafael vs $2,935 in Mendoza, rent included.

San Rafael $3,096
Mendoza $2,935

San Rafael and Mendoza have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.01 ARS 17.0K

$10.30 ARS 15.9K

6.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 ARS 78.7K

$49.67 ARS 76.7K

2.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.49 ARS 22.4K

$14.28 ARS 22.1K

1.47%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ARS 6,857

$4.46 ARS 6,888

-0.45%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ARS 3,760

$2.44 ARS 3,766

-0.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ARS 2,932

$1.91 ARS 2,949

-0.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 ARS 6,015

$4.12 ARS 6,363

-5.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 ARS 6,768

$4.54 ARS 7,017

-3.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ARS 2,148

$1.32 ARS 2,039

5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 ARS 3,376

$2.27 ARS 3,506

-3.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 ARS 4,297

$2.67 ARS 4,118

4.12%

Eggs

$3.19 ARS 4,921

$3.17 ARS 4,904

0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.27 ARS 22.1K

$14.42 ARS 22.3K

-1.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 ARS 9,446

$6.20 ARS 9,576

-1.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.04 ARS 17.1K

$11.11 ARS 17.2K

-0.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 ARS 3,639

$2.29 ARS 3,537

3.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 ARS 3,447

$2.24 ARS 3,463

-0.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 ARS 2,109

$1.34 ARS 2,070

2.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 ARS 5,149

$3.30 ARS 5,096

0.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 ARS 3,129

$2.02 ARS 3,120

0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 ARS 2,352

$1.50 ARS 2,322

1.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 ARS 3,092

$2.03 ARS 3,137

-1.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 ARS 3,967

$2.52 ARS 3,894

1.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 ARS 4,138

$2.67 ARS 4,124

0.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.07 ARS 7,838

$4.86 ARS 7,513

4.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ARS 2,785

$1.71 ARS 2,642

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ARS 4,740

$3.04 ARS 4,698

0.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ARS 1,508

$0.97 ARS 1,501

1.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.09 ARS 31.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 ARS 3,105

$1.99 ARS 3,067

1.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,584

$1.02 ARS 1,581

0.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 ARS 7,610

$4.99 ARS 7,710

-1.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ARS 1,880

$1.23 ARS 1,899

-0.81%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.4K ARS 42.3M

$27.6K ARS 42.6M

-0.80%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.4K ARS 50.0M

$32.9K ARS 50.9M

-1.74%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$146 ARS 226.0K

$143 ARS 221.3K

2.10%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.25 ARS 26.7K

$17.24 ARS 26.6K

0.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.80 ARS 36.8K

$24.36 ARS 37.6K

-2.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.51 ARS 48.7K

$32.28 ARS 49.9K

-2.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.04 ARS 32.5K

$18.05 ARS 27.9K

16.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.25 ARS 11.2K

$6.99 ARS 10.8K

3.72%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$174 ARS 268.8K

$173 ARS 267.3K

0.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,125 ARS 6.4M

$4,157 ARS 6.4M

-0.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 ARS 193.3K

$126 ARS 194.5K

-0.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$142 ARS 219.9K

$140 ARS 216.5K

1.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 ARS 218.5K

$143 ARS 221.4K

-1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 ARS 243.8K

$159 ARS 245.0K

-0.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 ARS 788.8K

$584 ARS 902.9K

-12.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 ARS 519.9K

$334 ARS 516.4K

0.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 ARS 1.6M

$982 ARS 1.5M

6.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 ARS 1.3M

$647 ARS 1.0M

27.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,740 ARS 2.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,272 ARS 2.0M

$1,123 ARS 1.7M

13.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ARS 1.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for San Rafael: November 3, 2026

Last update for Mendoza: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael

$336 24.9%

Mendoza

$334 24.5% 0.7% $2.2

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael

$287 21.2%

Mendoza

$285 20.9% 0.5% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael

$255 18.9%

Mendoza

$256 18.8% 0.2% $0.5

Eating Out

San Rafael

$230 17%

Mendoza

$226 16.6% 2% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael

$187 13.9%

Mendoza

$185 13.6% 1.3% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael

$46 3.4%

Mendoza

$46 3.4% 0.6% $0.3

Getting Around

San Rafael

$11 * 0.8%

Mendoza

$31 2.3% 181% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in San Rafael versus $584 in Mendoza. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in San Rafael versus $50 in Mendoza. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $285 – making Mendoza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 San Rafael

🇦🇷 Mendoza

🕒 Local time

09:38 9:38 AM

Same time as San Rafael

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

118,850

937,154

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.78 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

San Rafael vs Mendoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,029 per month in San Rafael and $2,045 in Mendoza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Rafael, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $511 there versus $584 in Mendoza.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,353 in San Rafael and $1,363 in Mendoza. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Mendoza has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,353 in San Rafael to $1,363 in Mendoza. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.